Rolling mill



Sept. 28, 1937? J. M. O'MALLEY ROLLING MILL Filed May 23, 1936 2 SheetsSheet-l agg gg m f H%/ Fig.1

INVENTOR JOSEPH ONALLEY A T'I'OR NEY p 1937- J. M. YOMALLEYY 2,094,106

ROLLING MILL Filed May 23, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 48 I 4 35 I I 2mm HEMMEEEWEE 6 INVENTOR JOSEPH M. QMALLEY mo 8 ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 28, 1937 UNITED? STATES PATENT OFFICE aoumc. mu.

Application May 23, 1936, Serial No. 81,469

8 Claims.

This invention relates to rolling mills, and more particularly to means for maintaining the. desired separation of the, rolls.

In the ordinary two-high mill with horizontal rolls it is desirable not only to support the weight of the upper roll independently of the lower roll when no stock is passing through the mill, but also to prevent 'any possibility of vertical bouncing or vibration of the lower roll. Unless the rolls are firmly held in their proper positions, the front portion of the stock is liable to be damaged, and cobbles may be produced. Similar problems arise in other types of rolling mills.

These diiiiculties have been recognized, and various constructions have been proposed heretofore in an attempt to avoid them. However these prior constructions have in some cases proven unsuccessful in practice, and in other cases they have been complicated, expensive and difficult to install in the limited space available.

It is accordingly one object of the invention to provide a roll separating mechanism which will be simple and compact, and particularly adapted to the space conditions encountered in rolling mills.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a roll separating mechanism which will in no way hinder or interfere with the removal and replacement of the rolls.

With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the. invention resides in the combination of parts set forth in the specification and coveredby the claims appended hereto. 7

Referring to the drawings illustrating one embodiment of the invention and in which like reference numerals indicate like parts, I

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a rolling mill, with certain parts broken away for clearness of illustration;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on the line 3-3 of Fig.2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 1, showing'a modified form of the invention;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 1, showing a further modification; and

Fig. '7 is a section on the line 'I'l of Fig. 6.

The embodiment illustrated comprises an upright U-shaped housing l0 having a window II fastened to the other side of the housing by means of a latch IS, a washer l6, and a removable wedge l8 extending transversely through the latch and holding the washer against the top of the cap. The latch is pivotallysecured to the housing by means of a pin l9. It will be under- 5 stood that a complete roll stand will include two of the housings I0, arranged in spaced relation, although only one housing has been illustrated.

Mounted within the window H are an upper bearing 2| and a lower bearing 22 therebeneath, these bearings serving to support the necks of upper and lower horizontal rolls 23 and 24 respectively. The bearings 2| and 22 are held against endwise movement by means of clamps 26 secured to the housing in and engaging lugs 21 which project laterally from the bearings. Upward movement of the upper bearing 2| is lim-; ited-by means of a vertical screw 28 mounted in the cap l2 and engaging a breaker block 29 located on the top of the bearing. Downward movement of the lower bearing 22 is limited by a stationary wedge 3| and an adjustable wedge 32, the latter being controlled by a horizontal rotate able screw 33. As is customary, two of the screws 33 are provided, to control the adjustment of the 25 wedges 32 on oppositesides of the roll stand independently. It will be apparent that by adjustment of the screws 28 and 33 the roll pass may be controlled to vary the amount of reduction of the stock. The bearings 2| and 22 are preferably of the general type disclosed in the United States Patent to Dahlstrom No. 2,018,055.

It is desirable to maintain the rolls in their correct positions even when no stock is passing between them, and the present invention is pri- 35 marily concerned with the structure whereby this is accomplished. In my preferred construction I provide a pair of rods or bars which are slidably supported at opposite sides of one of the roll neck bearings, with one end of each rod engaging the other bearing. Spring means is provided to place the rods under a compressive stress and at the same time apply force to the first bearing in the direction necessary to separate the bearings.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, there are provided a pair of vertical rods or bars 35 of rectangular cross-section slidably mounted at opposite sides of the upper roll neck bearing 2|, the lower ends of the rods engaging the lower bearing 22; The rods are positioned in vertical grooves 36 formed in the sides of the upper. bearing 2|. The upper ends of the rods are bent inwardly at right angles to form lugs 31 which extend into lateral recesses 39'iu'the upper portion of the bearing 2|. A coiled com-- pression spring 40 is located between each lug I! and the upper wall ll of the corresponding recess 39, and a vertical bolt 42 extends through the wall II, the spring 40 and the lug 31 to serve as a lateral support for the spring and to limit its extension when the bearing is removed from the housing. In order to retain the rods 35 in position in the grooves 35, the rods are preferably provided with elongated slots 44 through which shouldered screws 45 extend into the bearing 2i. It will now be apparent that the springs 4.0 will apply upward forces to the upper bearing 2| and downward forces to the lugs 31, thus placing the permit upward withdrawal of the rolls and their bearings, and during such withdrawal the roll separating mechanism will remain attached to.

the upper bearings as a unit assembly.

In Figs. 4 and 5 I have shown a modified form of the invention, in which the two coiled springs 40 of Fig. 1 are replaced by a single spring 41 of the multiple leaf type. This spring 41 extends through a transverse opening 45 formed in the upper portionof the upper bearing 2|, and the ends of the spring are slotted to engage T-shaped bolts 49 secured to the lugs 31 on the rods 35. The spring I] not only urges the upper .bearing 2| upwardly, but it also acts through the bolts 49 to apply a compressive stress to the rods 35 and thus urges the lower bearing 22 downwardly.

The improved roll separating mechanism can be mounted on the lower, bearing 22 instead of on the upper bearing 2|, and in Figs. 6 and '1 I have shown the type of mechanism illustrated in Fig. 4 applied in this manner. In thisem bodiment the' grooves 36 are provided in the lower bearing 22,.and the rods 35 are mounted in these grooves with the lugs 31 at the bottom. The transverse opening 4! for the spring 4'! is formed in the lower portion of the lower bearing. with this arrangement the spring 41 urges the lower bearing downwardly, and it also acts through the bolts 49 to apply a compressive stress 'to the rods 35 and thus urges the upper bearing upwardly.

It will be noted that the various arrangements disclosed are comparatively simple and inexpensive. Furthermore they are very compact and they do not in any manner interfere with the removal and replacement of the rolls. Since the springs which provide the roll separating force are located entirely on the opposite side of the axisof one hearing from the other bearing,

it is possible to utilize springs of ample sizewithout interference 'with the surrounding parts. Moreover the springs are positioned within the housing window and near the center of the bearings, so that there is no tendency to tip or cramp the hearings .on the roll necks.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to securebyletters Patent is: a

1. A rolling-mill comprising a roll neck having a transverse opening therein, a leaf spring mounted in the opening, a pair of rods slidable on opposite sides of the bearing and connected to the ends of the spring, and a second roll neck bearing, the last mentioned bearing being ensued ythe rods. andthe pring serving to'placo' the rods under compression and thus force the bearings apart.

2. A rolling mill comprising a roll neck bearing, a second roll neck bearing, the first mentioned bearinghaving a transverse opening in a portion remote from the second mentioned hearing, a pair of rods slidable on opposite sides of the first mentioned bearing and engaging the second mentioned bearing, and a leaf spring mounted in the opening and connected at its ends to the rods, the spring serving to place the rods under compression and thus'force the bearings apart.

3. A rolling mill comprising a roll neck bearing, a rod slidable at one side of the bearing, a second roll neck bearing arranged to be engaged by the rod, and a spring connected to the first mentioned bearing and located entirely on the opposite side of the axis thereof from the second mentioned bearing, the spring being connected to the rod and arranged to place the rod under compression and thereby separate the bearings.

4. A rolling mill comprising a roll neck bearing having a groove in one side, a rod slidable in the groove, a second roll neck bearing arranged bearings.

5. A rolling mill comprising a roll neck bear ing, a pair of rods slidable on opposite sides of the bearing, a second roll neck bearing arranged to be engaged by the rods, and spring means connected to the first mentioned bearing and located entirely on the -opposite side of the axis thereof from the second mentioned bearing, the

spring means being connected to the rods and arranged to place the rods under compression and thereby separate the bearings.

6. A rolling mill comprising a housing having a window, a roll neck bearing mounted in the window, a pair of rods slidable on opposite sides of the bearing, a second roll neck bearing mounted in the window and arranged to be engaged by the rods, and spring means connected to the first mentioned bearing and located within the window and entirely on the opposite side of the axis of the first mentioned bearing from the second mentioned bearing, the spring means being connected to the rods and arranged to place the rods under compression and thereby separate the bearings.

7. A rolling mill comprising a roll neck hearing, a pair of rods slidable on opposite sides of the bearing, a second roll neck bearing arranged to be engaged by the rods, and a pair of coiled compression springs mounted on the first mentioned bearing and located entirely on the opposite side of the axis thereof from the second Ear-lug and engaging the second mentioned bearg, and a leaf spring connected at its central portion to the first mentioned bearing and con- .nected at its ends to the rods, the spring serving to'place the rods under compression and thus 'force the bearings apart.

JOSEPH M. O'MALLEY.

slidable on opposite sides of the first mentioned 

